Skeletal Metastasis—an Epidemiological Study

Metastasis is the commonest bone tumors. The commonest primary metastasis to the bone are the breast, lung, prostate, kidney, and thyroid. The bone is the third common site of metastatic disease, only the lung and the liver have higher metastatic rate than skeleton. We have no epidemiological studies conducted to evaluate the various aspects of skeletal metastasis like age, sex distribution, presentation, common sites of primary and associated secondary metastases, and investigation from Indian subcontinent. Here we are presenting the first epidemiological study of skeletal metastasis from our region. We have conducted a prospective descriptive study in the Departments of Orthopedics and Radiotherapy, Government Medical College, Kozhikode, during the period of 2007 to 2009. One hundred eleven patients were included in the study above the age of 30 years. Clinical examination and investigation were done on these patients. Skeletal metastasis commonly occurs in the fifth decade of life with modest male preponderance. In most of the cases, the primary site of malignancy was undetected at the time of presentation. Pain was the commonest presented complaint of the patient. The spine is the commonest site affected and the lung was the common site of primary metastasis. Most of the cases were detected by radiogram and confirmation was obtained by minimally invasive technique like FNAC or CNB.